Microsoft Unveils $199 'Microsoft Band' Fitness Wearable

[Darrin Bell]

Looks awkward

That display needs to be rotated 90 degrees (which would ruin the form factor). I don't want to bend my arm that much to comfortably read my email.

 

[kdarling]

Actually I don't want the screen constantly rotating on me. I hope it's locked to landscape.

I didn't say constantly rotating. I said it needs a portrait mode.

Everyone I know with a Gear Fit switched to portrait mode as soon as it was available. There were lots of complaints until it got it. (You could also still tap a button on each message to flip modes.)

It's because we're used to viewing info in a wristwatch orientation. Imagine if the Apple Watch display was oriented with its bottom towards your elbow and it top towards your fingers. That's what the MS Band will be like.

 

[CFreymarc]

Is this how your resolve arguments.... Buying stock!!!

And while your throwing stones, iOS 8 and Yosemite are far more buggy than the equivalent windows OS at the moment . Read the forums mate.

Talk and forum text is cheap man.

 

[Sonmi451]

I want something that accurately monitors my sleep patterns. I don't care who makes it. Microsoft, fitbit, Apple...

From what I've read, the fitbit doesn't really work. Apple has nothing out that I'm going to sleep with. Jawbone doesn't really work either. So that leaves this thing. We'll see, I'll keep an open mind, but I'm pretty doubtful.

 

[subsonix]

I didn't say constantly rotating. I said it needs a portrait mode.

But portrait mode would be pretty useless for text. That would mean a line width of about five characters max, given how narrow this display is. It seems landscape mode works alright if the display is oriented on the back of the wrist though.

(Approximation based on this image https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/20255644/)

 

[legioxi]

EDIT: Apparently you have to go into work out mode for it to accurately track HR.

 

[thekeyring]

Well to be honest we don't actually know that yet... First of all this is marketing "48 hours"... They might be as true as Lenovos "10 hours battery life" on my laptop - Which isn't near 10 hours at all.

And the Apple Watch hasn't been released yet, so it might be just as good or close - we'll have to wait and see.

Ah, very good point. Perhaps Apple's watch will stretch to 48 hours, but with normal use (using the fitness features, playing music, relaying messages, etc) it will comfortable last from morning until night.

 

[ck2875]

I just picked mine up at a MS Store. There was a surprising amount of people going in and buying them. It came with the $5 starbucks gift card like previously mentioned, but they were also giving everyone their choice between a purple yoga mat or a Microsoft-branded High Sierra gym bag.

Haha, they asked where I heard about the band, and I said 'MacRumors'

 

[jeromyj]

Apple could have designed this "watch" in three days.

 

[macUser2007]

EDIT: Apparently you have to go into work out mode for it to accurately track HR.

On the MS site's description it says "24 hour" heart rate monitoring, which I fear means that it is not a real-time heart rate monitor.

The only real time heart rate monitor in a bracelet format I am aware of is the Basis Peak (owned by Intel now) which is going on sale in November.

 

[androvboy]

Damn good effort I reckon. The Apple Watch is a joke for anyone vaguely serious about any exercise tracking. I have the iPhone 6+ and zero interest in lugging that about when running.

This has the GPS built-in. That alone makes it 10 times more useful than the Apple Watch in my house.

 

[arose1980]

Apple could have designed this "watch" in three days.

Well, they probably should have since the Apple Watch at this juncture doesn't appear nearly as impressive.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Vid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkAX6uNVO1Q

 

[MatthewStorm]

Ask and ye shall receive: Microsoft Health (Google Play)

And for the sake of completeness: Microsoft Health (iOS)

Available tomorrow in Microsoft Stores.

Actually it's available right now. Just bought one for delivery tomorrow.

 

[ck2875]

Apparently you're limited to only 13 tiles on the start strip.

 

[STEALTH714]

On the MS site's description it says "24 hour" heart rate monitoring, which I fear means that it is not a real-time heart rate monitor.

The only real time heart rate monitor in a bracelet format I am aware of is the Basis Peak (owned by Intel now) which is going on sale in November.

But the Basis Peak does not have GPS

 

[kodos]

I bought two this morning. One for me and one for my wife. It will be our anniversary presents. There was a line at the little kiosk in the Frisco Microsoft store. Including a police officer who had just bought herself an iPhone 6 who heard about it last night.

They sold 10 of them at the little kiosk the minute they opened. It is all word of mouth at the moment.

Interestingly enough two of the people in line said they were waiting for the Apple Watch and decided that this was what they really wanted / needed and that the price hit the sweet spot for them.

The iPhone 6 user loved her phone, but was very intrigued by the Windows Phones on display. The Microsoft guys were surprised by the announcement but were geeking out and playing with it themselves. Good atmosphere for once at a Microsoft store at 10am on a weekday. Might be the surprise hit of the year. Took me by surprise.

So far so good. It sync'd well with my Windows Phone,and seems to be running well. But the real test will be with my wife tonight and her iPhone 5S.

 

[Pewpewpew]

The Microsoft site says it is an estimate of your heart rate

 

[Roy Hobbs]

Picked on up for my wife this morning and it's pretty slick.
This was my first time in a Microsoft store and I must say they've done a pretty good job with the store experience and the Band.

 

[tigres]

Can't swim or shower with it I see.

Sucks, no buy.

 

[ck2875]

I'm somewhat liking mine so far, but there's still the feeling of it being incomplete where I'm wanting much more out of it than what it can currently do. I don't really see this as an Apple Watch replacement at all. It seems like its just a display for your phone and can't send information the other way. It will be useful, but I kind of see it as a stopgap until I can get an Apple Watch next spring.

That said, it's a pretty big step up from the Nike Fuelband I had been using. I'm excited to see how well it works at the gym.

The most useful tile for me so far that had to be added in settings was the one for Notification Center so that it can display any push notification your phone receives.

There's a nice option to turn on a watch mode, but I'm really skeptical as to what the battery life is going to be on this thing.

The UI seems is a bit clunky. It would make much more sense to have vertical readings so you don't have to turn your wrist.

Also, the band itself feels kind of heavy on the wrist.

 

[waveboreale]

I bet it will be another flop. Still waiting for the wearable that would wow me.

 

[erzhik]

Apple could have designed this "watch" in three days.

You keep telling that to yourself.

 

[bawbac]

Talk and forum text is cheap man.

Unlike over priced Apple products...

 

[erzhik]

The Microsoft site says it is an estimate of your heart rate

It's always an estimate. Only professional medical equipment can give you a 100% accurate heart rate. That equipment costs thousands and requires wheels to move around.